Multimedia

Narratives

Site Information

Who's Who - Vladimir Sukhomlinov

General Vladimir Sukhomlinov
(1848-1926) served as Russian Minister of War from 1909 until spring 1915.

Sponsored Links

Born on 16 August 1848
Sukhomlinov's military career took him to the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-78
in the role of cavalry commander. From 1886-97 he served as head of
the cavalry school in St. Petersburg.

Promoted General in 1898
Sukhomlinov, a close advisor to the Tsar, was appointed Minister of War in
1909. To his credit he attempted against the odds to reform the
Russian army's outdated methods of waging war, in particular the army's
over-reliance upon cavalry in offensive operations and the use of fortresses
in defence.

Despite successfully
persuading the Duma to pass a large increase in military spending he quickly
found himself in confrontation with the army's conservative vested
interests, in the form of both cavalry and artillery officers.
Grand Duke Nikolai
was among his influential opponents in the debate concerning war tactics.

Unfortunately Sukhomlinov's
personal character did not lend itself to winning him friends in debate.
Deemed to be thoroughly corrupt in his exercise of power, and notorious for
his debauchery, he had no shortage of enemies willing to secure his downfall
when the opportunity arose. Such an opportunity presented itself in
due course in 1915.

In the midst of the
July
Crisis Sukhomlinov assured
Tsar Nicholas II
of the combat readiness of the Russian army, in the face of all known facts.
He further recommended that the full weight of the army be thrown
simultaneously against both Germany and Austria-Hungary. He remained
convinced that the war would be a short one.

Careful however to avoid
being appointed Commander-in-Chief of the army - for he was painfully aware
that once the armies were out in the field Russia's appalling system of
communications would ensure that no further part in their conduct could
reasonably be expected from the high command, Stavka - Grand Duke
Nikolai instead held the role (unsuccessfully).

With war underway
Sukhomlinov came under increasing fire as news of critical shortages of
supplies and shells fed back from the Eastern Front. Nevertheless
continuing to insist that the army was well supplied Sukhomlinov found himself
politically isolated in the summer of 1915.

Discredited by military
defeats on the Eastern Front and dogged by continuing stories of material
shortages, the Tsar was eventually prevailed upon to dismiss Sukhomlinov in
June 1915, replacing him with the rather more competent
Polivanov.

Sukhomlinov's unpopularity
survived his dismissal from political office however. When one of his
agents in the army, Colonel Miasoedov, was arrested and charged with treason
(albeit on questionable grounds), Sukhomlinov himself became implicated.

In April 1916 he was placed
under house arrest but freed in October at the Tsar's insistence.
Finding himself re-arrested once again by the Provisional Government in
September 1917 he was eventually released to exile in Finland (and then
Germany) in May 1918.

Having published his
memoirs in 1924 Sukhomlinov died in Berlin on 2 February 1926 at the age of
77.

Sponsored Links

Saturday, 22 August, 2009Michael Duffy

"Lance corporal bacon" was the name used by Anzac soldiers to describe very fatty bacon with a sliver of lean meat running through it.